2024 West Coast Governance Programme

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DWC is bringing governance training to the West Coast business community once again. The West Coast Governance Programme, facilitated by Richard Westlake and Vaughan Renner of Westlake Governance, will commence in June 2024, and consists of five workshops which will help participants understand the key roles and responsibilities of the board and individual directors. Over 100 local businesspeople have graduated from this programme including Buller District Mayor, Jamie Cleine and DWC Chair, Renee Rooney.

This series of five one-day workshops is designed for new and aspiring board members, and for those who work directly with a board – whether in a medium sized business, national co-operative, small community organisation, school Board of Trustees, or a local government body.

Who is this programme for?

For those already on boards or Councils:

You will understand the difference between governance and management, and what your governance role really involves: what are your responsibilities, what information do you need, how do you make great decisions, and how do you help your chief executive succeed? For you, this programme may be a valuable refresher, helping you to fill in some gaps; or it may be the first formal training you’ve done for your role.

For those who are preparing to join a board in the future:

You will understand what it means to be a director or board member, what skills and time commitment you'll need, and what attributes you can bring to your new role to add real value in the boardroom.

For those reporting to and working with boards:

You will understand why governance matters, what information board members need, and why it’s ok when they ask difficult questions.

Course Content:

Welcome A-Board!

• Introduction to the world of governance.
• What governance is – and isn’t.
• Why governance matters.
• Why it’s visible, mostly when it fails.
• Duties and responsibilities of a board and its members.
• Why would you want to do this?

Helping Management Succeed

• Selecting and appointing your CEO.
• How the board helps management to succeed.
• The five P's on the agenda: planet, people, progress, purpose and profit.
• What to do when your CEO is no longer right for the role.
• Leading your board: Introduction to the role of the chair.

Building Business For Tomorrow From Today

• The board’s role in developing strategy.
• What strategy is and why it’s important.
• Some tools to help build your strategy.
• The hard part: turning strategy into action.

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

• The board’s role in governing risk.
• How risk is related to strategy.
• The ART of Risk Governance™.
• Some special risk situations.

Inside The Boardroom – Getting to the Best Decisions

• What happens in the boardroom, and afterwards.
• Why dissent is not disloyalty.
• Making the best decisions we can.
• What are we really here for?
• Putting it all into practice: board meeting simulation.
• Now what? Preparing for and finding the right board role.

Meet the Facilitators:

Richard Westlake and Vaughan Renner are experienced chairs and board members and have presented governance workshops together for about ten years. Over several years they co-facilitated the Governance component of the West Coast Leadership & Governance Programme, from which many participants have gone on to significant governance and leadership roles, in the West Coast community and elsewhere.

Richard Westlake:

Richard has more than 25 years’ experience as a director and board chair, in a wide variety of organisations. He is currently chair of New Zealand Home Loans Ltd, and recently completed nine years as the first independent director of the Dairy Goat Co-operative and six years as the only non-Asian director of one of the largest banks in the Philippines. Over the last 15 years, Richard has trained probably more directors than anyone else in New Zealand.

He also writes perhaps the only blog written especially for board chairs and experienced directors, at www.chairingtheboard.com.

Vaughan Renner:

Vaughan trained originally as an Engineer and has been a director and board chair for about 15 years. He is a former chief executive of New Zealand’s largest tyre importer and retailer, and he currently chairs The Open Polytechnic, the board of Business New Zealand and the Standards Approval Board (a unit of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment).

Programme Details

Dates:

• Wednesday, 12 June
• Wednesday, 10 July
• Wednesday, 31 July
• Wednesday, 18 September
• Wednesday, 2 October

Time: 9.00am - 4.00pm

Venues/Locations: We like to share the venue locations around the region, depending on where the participants are based. We will confirm venues at the start of May.

Cost: $3,000 + GST - this fee can be invoiced in three instalments. Please contact Katie, DWC events coordinator, to discuss and confirm - katie@dwc.org.nz

Management Capability Development Fund: This programme is registered with the Management Capability Development Fund. Find out more by visiting www.regionalbusinesspartners.co.nz. If you think you may be eligible or would like to discuss further, please email us at events@dwc.org.nz to arrange a discovery session with our team.

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Graduates of the 2022 West Coast Governance Programme

Front row - left to right - Debbie Lawn, Lynda Watson, Fiona Hill, Tracey Twaddle, Jazmine McCreath, and Zachary Forsyth.

Back row - left to right - Richard Westlake (Westlake Governance), Heath Milne (DWC CEO), Rebecca Pearson, Jeff Evans, Helen Wilson, Arthur Perkin, Jo Birnie, Lucas Hateley, Sally Shaw, Logan Skinner, Renee Rooney (DWC Chair) and Vaughan Renner (Westland Governance).